We gather outdoors and on Zoom so that we can be together in community, helping each other find strength, courage and compassion. Here are this week’s announcements and spaces.

Congregational Vote
and
Discussion of Path Forward
Jan. 16 Congregational Meeting

Two Proposed Changes to the UUFP Bylaws

One: A vote on this proposed Bylaw change (see addition in bold) will be held at our Jan. 16 Congregational Meeting.

III.1 The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Plattsburgh is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) and is part of the Central East Region. We, the member congregations, covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity and compassion in human relations; acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; a free and responsible search for truth and meaning; the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all; respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part; journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and in our institutions.

Two: A vote on this proposed addition to our bylaws — the implementation of an Endowment Fund — will be held at our Jan. 16 Congregational Meeting. See link below:
https://mcusercontent.com/44360cafcfa6479155fca1504/files/0b97c087-b5f3-4053-0304-6e9307d78269/Endowment_Fund_proposed_language.pdf

We will use the same Sunday service link
for the Congregational Meeting.

Join us by Zoom: here
Or call by phone 646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 361-540-300
Passcode: 064440

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Online and Outdoor Events in January

Learn More About Our UU Tradition in 2022?
Online Sundays, Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30

Sign up for “Transcendentalism: Then & Now,” a free online course, co-sponsored by the UUFP and many other North Country congregations. Host for the course will be the esteemed Rev. John Buehrens.

The Rev. John Buehrens was president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations from 1993-2001. He is the co-author with Forrest Church of “A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism.” He’s also written several other books, most recently Conflagration: How the Transcendentalists Sparked the American Struggle for Racial, Gender, and Social Justice (2020).

Access the event via zoom.us/my/rochesterunitarian or live.rochesterunitarian.org and enjoy learning more about this timely topic!

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 Faith Examined: January 10 & 24 at 9 a.m.

The Faith Examined Group meets every other Monday morning. In January we are reading “No Other Gods: The Politics of the Ten Commandments” by Ana Levy-Lyons (2018). In February we will pick up “God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World” by Stephen Prothero (2011). The Zoom sessions run from 9-10:30 a.m., with the first 15 minutes being “social time.”
Join us via this Zoom link: Faith Examined
Phone: 646-558-8656, Meeting ID: 847 8315 5252, Passcode: 885969
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Writers’ Circle: Jan. 12 & 26 at 10 a.m.

The Writers’ Circle will meet at 10 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Here’s our link for Jan. 12:Writers’ Circle
Phone: 646-558-8656, Meeting ID: 821 8345 1279, Passcode: 501201

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LGBTQ+ Youth and Allies Group, Jan. 15, 2-4 p.m.

LGBTQ+ Youth Group gathers on Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Pavilion at Cumberland Bay State Park. We will have a bonfire, play a game and enjoy each other’s company!
Please RSVP by Jan. 13 to re@uuplattsburgh.org or by text to 518-323-7130.

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Register for Critical Race Theory Event, Jan. 15 Join the UU Congregation of Fairfax, VA, and their panel of speakers to learn about Critical Race Theory (CRT), the politics around the topic in Northern VA and across the nation, and reinforce the understanding of why learning accurate, inclusive history is good for students and our communities.

For more information, please contact:
Mary Lareau (mlareau@uucf.org; 703-346-3027)
Co-sponsors: UUCF, Emmaus United Church of Christ, and SURJ NoVA (Showing Up for Racial Justice Northern Virginia)

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The First UUFP Snow-Chalice Building Event!
Saturday, Jan. 22, 2-4 p.m.

Imagination comes to life through the magic of snow and little hands! And also big hands!

Hopefully, a blizzard will hit before we will gather at 4 Palmer St. to build colorful snow chalices!

If you have a shovel and a spray or squirt bottle and food coloring, please bring them. We will also have tools available for participants to use. An eclectic jury of UUFP members (any volunteers?) will be awarding prizes to all builders. If you do not want to build, please come to enjoy the outdoor snow art installation after the snow artists are done! Questions? Contact Ulrike Galasinski at re@uuplattsburgh.org

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UPLIFT Monthly Trans/Non-Binary Gathering Space
Monthly on the 4th Tuesday
Jan. 25, 8-9 p.m.

For information, click here: click here
And  register here.

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Important Update on Gatherings

The Board and Safety Committee would like to remind you that, unfortunately, the Palmer and Elm St. buildings are not authorized for use by any groups.Clinton County’s risk level has been upgraded to “Severe Risk” (01/02/2022).This means online is still the safest way to gather. However, if several of you to decide to join a gathering together, we ask you ensure the following guidelines* are respected:

• good ventilation
• well-fitted masks
• physical distancing of at least 6 ft
• reduced occupancy
• no singing
• no food or drinks (unless individually wrapped)

Given the risks associated with the Delta and Omicron variants, the UUA no longer recommends that small groups be able to remove masks indoors together, even by mutual consent.

Difficult as this may feel, hosting a gathering of any size, in- or outdoors, will require taking responsibility to make sure masks are worn and the other guidelines respected, regardless of vaccination status.

The Safety Committee, in collaboration with the board, is assessing the feasibility of safety allowing small groups to gather inside 4 Palmer. We ask for your patience as we work through the challenges posed by the limited capacity for ventilation and air exchange at 4 Palmer.

Currently, because of the “Severe Risk” status in Clinton County, no indoor gathering would be safe, even in a well-ventilated building. We are working towards safe small-group gathering when the risk declines.

We know this is hard, and that these guidelines are more strict than those you may encounter in other areas of your life. Our goal is to ensure that we be known as a community of care, where every person feels able to join in our activities without undue risk.

*From the most recent (Dec. 7, 2021) recommendations put forward by the UUA, in consultation with public health professionals. Read the UUA Gathering Guidance in full here.
Questions? Please reach out to Jo El Miano (joellen.miano@gmail.com) member of the Safety Team.

UUFP Votes to Adopt the 8th Principle

On Sunday, Dec. 12, the UUFP voted unanimously to adopt the 8th principle for our congregation. The 8th principle states: “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in our ourselves and our institutions.”

The next step, largely a formality, includes changing our bylaws to include the 8th principle. Our congregational vote to update our bylaws will occur at the congregational meeting on Jan. 16 (see the top of this e-News for details).

Information on how the 8th principle was developed can be found at https://www.8thprincipleuu.org/

Our deep work now is to uphold our covenant, holding ourselves accountable on our journey forward.

Information on how the 8th principle was developed can be found at https://www.8thprincipleuu.org/Share the Plate

The fellowship shares half of undesignated donations received following our Sunday services with a community organization or charity that does work consistent with our UU values and mission, organizations involved in promoting community services and social justice.

For the month of January we have selected MHAB Recovery and Life Skills Campus, which provides free support and services for people in recovery, for their family and friends, and for people who advocate for recovery. MHAB’s goal is to help anyone in recovery, whether it be from substance use, mental, emotional or behavior disorders, domestic violence, homelessness or poverty.

The Life Skills Campus offers housing and life skills training, as well as orientation and connections to community services. The All Ways to Recovery Community Center offers a wide range of recovery supports, including peer-to-peer recovery services, skill building and recovery enhancement workshops, recreational activities, and ongoing educational work to prevent overdoses. MHAB promotes long-term recovery by providing professional staff, peers and volunteers to engage and support people in their recovery.

For more information, contact www.mhab.org

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To donate, mail a check to the fellowship (4 Palmer St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901) and indicate “MHAB” on the memo line. You can also text “GIVE” to 518-594-8008.

We are interested in hearing about ideas you may have for potential beneficiaries of Share the Plate. Please send any suggestions tolove@uuplattsburgh.org and include a short description of the charity or organization.